


With Every Inch of Her Being

by mustdefine



Category: Gymnastics RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-14
Updated: 2012-08-14
Packaged: 2017-11-20 19:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/588671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mustdefine/pseuds/mustdefine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vika’s nervous about ankle surgery. Aliya cheers her up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With Every Inch of Her Being

Vika hasn’t been coming to dinner lately. The conversation in the cafeteria is more subdued without Vika there to giggle at people’s jokes. Team morale is low right now and Aliya doesn’t like it. She grabs a bun (one of Vika’s favorites) and hobbles off to the dorm section of Round Lake. Through the half-open door of Vika’s room, she can see her friend. Vika’s lying motionless on her back.

“Are you all right?” Vika doesn’t answer. Aliya settles herself gingerly on the edge of the bed and says, “You weren’t at supper.”

“Aleksander says we won’t know if they will do surgery until we get there,” Vika says, blinking at the ceiling. “To Germany.” 

”I thought the doctors here said you didn’t need it.”

Vika frowns, takes the bun from Aliya, and begins to pick at it. “That’s what some of them said. They don’t agree. I’ve seen so many doctors in the last two months and they all say different things.” 

Aliya scratches absently at the skin under the edge of her knee brace. “So you’re coming with us, then?”

“Yes. Aleksander and Gennady said that we were wasting time with the doctors here and that I have to be ready for the Russian Cup.” She turns her head to look at Aliya, big eyes troubled. “Did it … did it hurt when you got cut open?”

Aliya feels a pang at this. She’s only four months older than Vika, but the fragile gymnast often seems much younger. Aliya puts a protective hand on her friend’s leg above the cast as if she could will Vika’s ankle to heal. “It wasn’t so bad. They’ll give you good painkillers and let you out pretty quickly. You can use my crutches, huh? When you get back we can limp around together.”

Vika smiles a little, but the smile fades too quickly. 

“What?”

“I just … ” The younger girl sighs heavily and sits up, staring at her cast. “I feel like this is my fault. If I’d been more careful a few months ago—”

Aliya interrupts her. “That was a freak accident. Don’t blame yourself.”

Dark blue eyes look up at her. “Do you?”

Aliya cocks her head and Vika blushes. “Do you blame yourself for …” She nods at Aliya’s knee.

The memory flashes across her mind’s eye like an afterimage (the world twisting beneath her, impact, a searing pain knifing through her tendons, hold that  _fucking_  landing and salute when all she knows is pain  _oh GOD_ ), which she dismisses quickly. Living in the past is often unpleasant and never useful. She knows Vika’s prone to it, so she says, “Things happen. Try not to dwell on it. You must be mentally strong and focus on getting better so you can train again.” She squeezes her friend’s knee and changes the subject. “I’m glad you’re coming with me.”

“I’m glad I’m not going alone,” Vika admits. She leans forward as if confessing a secret. “Can you blame me? Think of it—trying to watch Twilight on the plane next to Aleksander!”

Aliya’s lips quirk. There’s the Viktoria she knows so well. She leans forward and presses a kiss to her friend’s forehead. “Eat your dinner and go pack, all right? Or I’ll leave without you and your sparkly vampires.” As always, Vika giggle sends a rush of warmth through her. She impulsively brushes a kiss against her friend’s lips. There’s a pause (one heartbeat, two) before Vika giggles again and breaks the spell. Aliya pats her leg and limps away to her own room.

The doctors better be able to fix both of them. She needs Vika back in her life full-time, exactly as much as she needs her knee back.

With every inch of her being. 


End file.
